Jiggly Caliente of "RuPaul's Drag Race" dies at age 44, family says

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Jiggly Caliente, a beloved resistance queen who competed on "RuPaul's Drag Race" and transgender rights activist, has died astatine the property of 44, her household said successful a connection posted connected societal media Sunday.

Bianca Castro-Arabejo, known by her signifier sanction Jiggly Caliente, was going done what her household said was a "serious wellness setback" implicit the past month.

"Due to a terrible infection, she was hospitalized and, arsenic a result, has undergone the nonaccomplishment of astir of her close leg," the family's connection said 3 days earlier they announced she had died.

Her household said Castro-Arabejo "passed distant peacefully" connected Sunday greeting and that she was surrounded by loved ones. They remembered her arsenic an entertainer and advocator who had "infectious energy, fierce wit, and unwavering authenticity."

"Her bequest is 1 of love, courage, and light. Though her carnal beingness is gone, the joyousness she shared and the abstraction she helped make for truthful galore volition stay forever," her family's connection read. "She volition beryllium profoundly missed, ever loved, and eternally remembered."

Caliente archetypal walked into the spotlight arsenic a contestant connected the award-winning deed world amusement "RuPaul's Drag Race." The Philippines-born resistance queen competed connected play 4 of the amusement and connected the sixth play of its spin-off, "RuPaul's Drag Race All-Stars." She became 1 of the astir recognizable names from the amusement and went connected to enactment successful different TV bid including "Broad City" and "Pose," arsenic good arsenic appearing arsenic a justice connected "RuPaul's Drag Race Philippines."

In 2016, Castro-Arabejo publically came retired arsenic a transgender woman.

"Drag was the awakening for my transness," she told Mega magazine successful an interrogation past year.

Following the announcement of her death, tributes from chap "Drag Race" contestants were posted to societal media, including from Caliente's "drag daughter" and play 14 contestant June Jambalaya.

"Jiggly wasn't conscionable my resistance parent she was my harmless place, my quality diary, my compass erstwhile I was lost," Jambalaya said successful an Instagram post. "There were truthful galore moments I came to her broken, defeated by the concern I emotion truthful much,a concern that I felt didn't ever emotion maine back. And each time, she reminded maine of my worth: however beautiful, however talented I was, however my acquisition could ne'er beryllium measured by a placement connected a show."